Baseball vs. Samford - 2/14/14

[valpotx]

We are up 4-0 after the top of the 1st!!

[jetz]

We'll take it...but it wasn't pretty.  A big first inning paved the way to a 6-5 win.  Samford scored two in the 8th and one in the 9th.  Nonetheless it's the first time we've won the opener in a couple of years.  I have to think that the DR had a little to do with it.  They came out jittery and we took advantage.  Webb started strong and scattered hits after that.  Mahoney looked good in the leadoff spot.  I'm sure the relievers will come around.  Congrats to Coach Schmack on win #1 as a head coach...

[valpotx]

Keep it going tomorrow and Sunday!

[jetz]

Keep it going tomorrow and Sunday!

Done for part one.  Nice win today.  Banged out 12 hits.  Mahoney on fire early and nice to see Bynum break out today.  Bryce Yoder looked great out of the pen to pick up his first collegiate W.  Got a little sloppy with 4 Es but came back after being one down after seven.  Series win in the bag, now for the sweep tomorrow.  BTW video with no sound available for free from the Samford baseball site.  A little balky but combine it with the stats and you get the idea.  Undefeated in 2014!   

[historyman]

Valpo going for 3-0 and a complete Schmacking. Great!

[valpotx]

I am assuming that Samford will have a pretty good year in their conference, so these are good wins!  Especially when you consider that we usually start off with 10 more losses than wins in the non-conference schedule on these Spring trips

[jetz]

Samford has two (and maybe three if I look hard) kids who are 8-12 round draft projections.  We have one.  Their 3-4-5 hitters are very tough.  These are good wins.  One of the relievers for them today was at 91 on the gun...Regional type pitching.  BTW, Karch touched 92.  We hit the 91 guy pretty good...so far so good for the 2014 squad.

[VULB#62]

Valpo 7 - Samford 1 - top of the 6th with 2 out.  All on 5 hits while scattering 5 Samford hits.

     Lost 10-7 in the bottom of the 9th.  Looks like a bases-loaded HR?

[jetz]

Very tough loss, but still a series win.  Entered the ninth up 7-4, but gave up six including a walk off grand slam.  This is one of Coach Schmack's emphasis items--closing out games.  He gave a picture of the scoreboard at IU from the Regional last year that shows Valpo leading 4-1 with one out in the 9th to each player.  He wants the team to close out victories this year.  We did on FR and SA, but lost focus on SU.  Of concern--we only had six hits today and FR.  Need to hit the ball to win consistently.  Also, we are searching for a solid starting weekend lineup with Lundeen out for a while.  Freshman Mario Losi was great today and deserved the win.  Went 7 IP and left with a 7-2 lead.  He may move to the SA starter while Lundeen is out.  Still looking for a quality third starter. 

[valpotx]

Did we not have any other options in the 9th after Mahar gave up two runs, and had the bases loaded?  I didn't watch this one, but I would think that if he didn't have it after several batters, that a change would have been made, even though he is usually solid.

[jetz]

This is a recurring frustration for me.  I thought that when the bases were loaded with no out, we should have made a change.  I don't know the state of the arms available, but without inside knowledge I thought maybe Bryce Yoder could have come in after going a couple of innings yesterday.  It's early and all, but the sweep would have been nice.  I guess I just think someone should have been warming up.  Not sure why no Karch.  Again, I don't know the state of everyone's arm.  But in the ninth, it was gonna be Mahar.  No one else was up.

[valpotx]

I guess he didn't want to use Karch 3 games in a row to start the season.  Not sure why we wouldn't have any other guys warming up, if he had the bases loaded with no outs to start the inning.  Can't complain too much about taking 2 of 3 from Samford, but it could have been a sweep